liiTERATTTRE. — See the Literature mentioned in the foot-notes of art. DrTiNATlos, and in addition W. M. Alexander, Deinonic Possession in the XT, 1&02 ; H. A. Dallas, Gospel Records in- terpreted by numan Experieyice, 1903, p. 2L'l ; Andrew Lang:, The Making of Religion^, 1900, p. 12S ; R. C. Thompson, The Devils and Evil Spirits of Babylonia, 1903-04, vol. i. p. Uii ; J. G. Frazer, The Golden Boiighs, ' The Magic Art," 1911, i. 174 ff. ; E. B. Tylor, Primitive Cultures, 1S91, ii. 124fF. ; artt. in BCG, i. 43Sff., and ERE, iv. 565, 578, 612, with tlie Literature there mentioned. P, A. GOEDON CLARK.
_ EXPEDIENCY.— In the NT 'expedient' is several times used in translating the Gr. avfj.(pipei, or neut. avficpepov (2 Co 12'). Other translations of the word are 'it is profitable,' 'it were better,' 'it is good.' It will be seen when we come to consider some of the passages in which (Tv/Mcpepei, occurs that it is always used in its better sense, or, we may say, in its original sense, i.e. without that element of selfishness, or the attainment of personal advan- tage at the expense of genuine principle, in which sense the word 'expedient' is mw generally employed. It is never found in the sense of what is convenient, as against what is right ; nor has VOL. I. — 25
it the meaning of 'expeditious,' as e.g. in Shake- speare :
' Expedient manage must be made, my liege. Ere further leisure yield them further means'
(Richard II., h iv. 39).
"We shall first of all refer briefly to some of the passages in the Gospels and the Acts where avpupipei occurs, and then examine the general question of Christian expediency as it is treated in the Epistles.
1. The Gospels.— (1) In Mt 5-"^^ we have what may be called the expediency of self-denial. Here Christ deals with the question of adultery, and shows hoM- certain members of the body, such as the eye and the hand, which are in themselves serviceable and necessary, may become the occasion of sin for us, and, therefore, it is expedient (avixcpipei) for a man that one of his members should perish and not his whole body be cast into hell. There is no need to ask here how far these words of Christ are to be understood literally (cf. A. Tholuck, Sermon on the Mount, 1860, p. 211 K). They certainly mean that whatever may bring temptation to a man, it is expedient — it is the best and wisest course — for him to resign ; that it is better to live a maimed life, than with all our faculties about us to be destined to moral death. Christ here gTounds His precept of the most rigid and decisive self-denial on considerations of the truest self-interest.
(2) In Mt 19^* we have a reference to the ex- pediency of celibacy. The teaching of Christ con- cerning divorce led His disciples to the conclusion that, without freedom to divorce, 'it is not good (RV 'expedient') to marry.' Jesus then refers to three classes of persons for whom marriage is in- expedient : {a) eunuchs ' which were so bom from their mother's womb,' i.e. those whose physical constitution unfitted them for marriage ; [b] eunuchs 'which were made eunuchs of men,' i.e. those who by actual physical deprivation or compulsion from men are prevented from marrying ; (c) eunuchs ' which made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake,' i.e. those who voluntarily abstain from marriage, not for their own sake only, but also for the sake of all that the Kingdom of Heaven implies. In the case of these three classes it is expedient that they live a celibate life (cf. 1 Co 7^).
(3) In Jn 11* we ha%'e the expediency of Christ's death spoken of by Caiaphas. Here we have ' a good principle basely applied, not in the interests of self-sacrifice, but to cover a violation of justice and truth ' (J. A. McClymont, St. John [Cent. Bible, 1901], p. 245). For the preservation of his power and influence, together with that of his confederates, Caiaphas says that it was expedient to put Jesus to death. "The falsity of this state- ment, says F. W. Robertson {Sermons, 1st ser., 1875, p. 132 fl'.), lies in its injustice. Expediency can- not obliterate right and wrong. Expediency may choose the best possible when the conceivable best is not obtainable ; but in right and wrong there is no better and best. Better that the whole Jewish nation should perish than that a Je-wish legislature should steep its hand in the blood of one innocent. That this saying of Caiaphas has made a deep impression upon St. John is evident from his refer- ence to it again in 18'*. He regards the words as having an origin higher than him who spoke them. It was an unconscious prophecy.
(4) In Jn 16' Christ refers to the expediency of His Ascen-'tion. ' Nevertheless I tell you the truth ; it is expedient for you that I go away,' etc. How- ever much the disciples might regi-et their Master's departure from them, this was not only necessary, but would also be to their advantage, inasmuch as the glorified Christ working in them would be better than the visible Jesus present among them (cf. 14i«-).